State police said footprints in the snow helped in the arrest of a pair of teenage brothers — one from Butler County — suspected of breaking into a number of vehicles in southeastern Mercer County. A 9 mm pistol reportedly was taken in one of the thefts.

In all, property valued at more than $5,200 was allegedly stolen from seven vehicles.

Troopers arrested Gregory W. McFadden, 19, of Slippery Rock Township and Dustin J. McFadden, 18, of Pine Township, Mercer County, Tuesday on 24 charges, including three felonies. Both teens are in the Mercer County Prison on $15,000 bond each.

Investigators suspect the series of vehicle break-ins occurred between Feb. 5 and 15 at homes within close proximity in Wolf Creek and Pine townships.

A call Feb. 13 for an overnight theft from a vehicle sent troopers to a home on Daugherty Road in Pine Township, police said.

Mother Nature is credited with helping in the investigation. A coating of snow, police said, captured footprints that troopers were able to track throughout Pine and neighboring Wolf Creek townships.

The impressions, according to investigators, indicated the suspects had walked in the area of 13 property lines to vehicles parked at homes.

Police said while they tracked the prints, they got two additional calls from victims reporting vehicle break-ins at homes on Sandy Lake Road and Bell Road, both in Wolf Creek Township. A laptop was reported taken from the vehicle on Sandy Lake Road.

During the investigation, police said they spoke to Gregory McFadden, who provided a written statement claiming his younger brother was involved in the thefts.

Police said that after the Feb. 20 interview, troopers went to the home of Gregory McFadden's mother, where he lives. She allowed the officers to search the home, police said.

“Numerous items that were stolen from the vehicles were recovered (from the home),” according to charging documents, “as well as shoes matching footprints from (the) scene.”

The stolen pistol, police noted, was also recovered during the investigation.

Troopers later went to Dustin McFadden's home. He too was interviewed, and admitted that he and his brother “committed all the thefts together,” police said.

District Judge Neil McEwen arraigned both defendants Tuesday on two felony counts of theft and an additional felony charge of conspiracy.

They were also arraigned on seven misdemeanor counts of theft from a vehicle and 14 misdemeanor counts of loitering and prowling at night. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for March 14 at McEwen's office in Pine Township.

Online court records did not indicate if the defendants have an attorney.